God’s Word for Today

28 June 2023

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—

14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

-James 4:13-17 ESV

IF THE LORD WILLS

James has addressed to some individuals among them who were presumptuous. They expressed their arrogance by making decisions without God. Their boasting is evil. They had said, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” They are not different to the rich fool that Jesus mentioned in His parable in Luke 12:16-21.

A proud person is always presumptuous, which is the path to destruction. As Solomon says,

‘Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.’[Prov 16:18,25]

Overconfidence in the self is blinding. James is referring to this man who is making business plans and vowing to keep them in his own power and by the force of his own will. Perhaps he is influenced by the prevalent worldly thinking. He became oblivious to his limitations or shortcomings. He forgets that his life is short and uncertain as a mist that vanishes in a moment.

Do we know what would happen tomorrow? Of course, not! We can't predict or control the future. Thus Jesus says to us, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”[Matt 6:34]

What then are we supposed to do?

We ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” Let us seek the mind of God in prayer. Jesus promised, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”[John 15:7]. Even John corroborated by saying, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”[1 John 5:14,15]

Don’t forget that God has no aversion unto us when we plan. But, the only plan that will work is God’s plan. He is not denying sound and God-led planning. Let us therefore, “commit our work to the Lord, and our plans will be established.’[Prov 16:3] James exhorts us to carry with us an awareness that every moment, every movement, we should be dependent on God's grace, mercy, and will. There is no exception. This is the right thing to do. Failure to acknowledge God in our plans is not just morally wrong but a sin.

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Text: James 4:11-12 ESV

“(11) Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (12) There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"

BEWARE OF A JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE

We do exercise judgment every day, don’t we? It’s the sin of slandering or judgmental that we should avoid. It’s unbecoming for believers to turn on each other by slandering or disparaging each other. To slander means to discredit someone, to spread hurtful lies about him, saying unkind and harmful things about him. In short, to be judgmental is to assume a position of authority over him.

It’s important to note that James’ readers were of Jewish descent. Thus, they probably have high respect to the Old Testament Law. In [Lev 19:16], Moses wrote, “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” Instead, they are to love their neighbor as they love themselves. [Lev 19:18] We should seek the best for others as we seek the best for ourselves.

To disobey the Law by judging another person is a way of putting oneself above the Law. We are going to focus as doers of the Law, and nothing more. Let us avoid looking over others’ shoulders and judging them for what they are doing. Again, James is urging us to walk humbly in our relationship with God and with each other.

God is the only person who deserves to judge. He is the only one able to save and destroy. He is the lawgiver. There is no other. On the other hand, We are all flawed yet by His grace are forgiven. And as undeserving recipients of His grace, should we not be gracious to others? Should we mean to be forgiven by the Judge on the basis of His grace alone through faith in Christ, we are saved. And, as people dependent on His grace, we should not presume to pronounce any verdict against others based on our own judgment. Thus, to make ourselves judges of other people's sins is being hypocritical, even arrogant.

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Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

-James 4:6-10

HE GIVES MORE GRACE

Even if they have been living the worldly way, they won’t outrun the grace of God. James offered hope. This favor or grace is given to all who trust in Christ. Yes, our sin is serious, corrupting, and wicked, but God gives us more grace. He forgives us in our sinfulness in Christ and continues to give us the benefit we have not earned.Quoting Prov 3:34, James relates a simple yet powerful principle.

God opposes the proud. Isn’t one’s refusal to trust God to provide what he needs, and his insistence on getting what he wants for ourselves an act of pride? Impliedly, it is an attempt to play God in our own lives. God in a loving way expressed His jealousy. He opposed us when we do so yet offered us hope in Christ should we humble ourselves before Him.Humility is evidenced by submission. Submit to God anew. Give up the lifestyle of getting what you want. And embrace all the good He gives.

We must surrender ourselves to align with His desires and commit ourselves to serving others. Humility is a direct assault on the devilish mind. Satan is instrumental in inciting the selfish pursuit away from God. It demands that we should continually counter his lies by telling ourselves the truth about God's goodness, love, and power toward us. Definitely, this is our motivation to draw near to God. This comes with a corresponding promise. That is, God will respond by moving closer to us as well.

A demonstration of His incredible act of mercy on His part. God owes us nothing. Yet, He promised His closeness. What an indescribable grace on His part to come in our direction at all! In response to His goodness, we should pursue holiness and purify our hearts. A show of brokenness is a demonstration of true repentance. We should grieve the lost hours, days, and years spent in pursuit of worthless things. This pleases God. As David expressed, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.”[Psa 51:17,19]

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4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says,

ARE WE GOD’S FRIEND OR FOE?

Should these selfish and worldly believers continue not to repent, they are adulterous before God. They are unfaithful in their relationship with God, for having espoused the world. And this friendship is fatal. Why? It means they become enemies with God. Believers couldn't be friends both with the world and with God simultaneously, could they?

It is apparent here that those who choose to continue to live following the wisdom of the world, driven by envy and selfish ambition, seeking what they want above all else, are not living as friends of God. They are living in adultery. Hence, they are God's enemies. It’s unthinkable that His child would appear as His enemy, isn’t it?

Today, let’s not grieve the Spirit. God is jealous unto us as His espoused wife or bride. Worldliness is as cheating on God just as much as an unfaithful wife is cheating on her husband. Such a state of believers is unthinkable, isn’t it?

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What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder.

- James 4:1-3 ESV

WHERE DOES CONFLICT COME FROM?

“Anger management” is a skill popularized today by experts as a solution in solving tensions in relationships. While their purpose is noble, most have just solved the symptoms and not addressed the root cause or source. As long as we embraced the world’s idea of success in life, there is always fire among us. What is success according to the world? It is defined by whether we get what we want out of life at all costs. It is driven by envy, to say, "I want what you

The problem is rooted in their ‘desires’. These strong selfish or fleshly desires would tell us to fight, scratch, and hurt each other if that is what it takes

What the world is fighting about could be ours by just asking - praying. Jesus said, “ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”[Matt 6:31,32] These

But these people refused to trust Him to provide what they needed. They refused to pray unto God for what they desired. God might say no, after all. They won’t take ‘no’ as an answer anyways. Who determines what is best for us? God or us? Their evil hearts reveal that they would rather hurt someone else in attempting to get it for themselves.

Today, let’s delight ourselves in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [Psa 37:4] That is, God would change our desires should we delight in

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13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

-James 3:13-18 ESV

WHO IS WISE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG YOU?

The true test of God's kind of wisdom is a life well lived, a life spent doing good works for others. A truly wise person demonstrates humility through his good

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Text: James 3:3-12 ESV

4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

-James 3:3-12 ESV

SMALL BUT TERRIBLE

The tongue is a small organ yet we have to handle it seriously. It can either encourage or disparage a person. Solomon said that death and life is in the power of the tongue. It has neither head nor feet but it can travel fast. It has no bones but could break the lives of people. Its power should not be taken for granted. Its power is illustrated in three powerful objects, namely, the rudder of the ship, the bit of a horse, and fire.

The ship’s direction is controlled by the small rudder. The wild horse could be controlled by a small bit. These two are the positive aspects of the use of tongue. As the rudder can direct ships, so we can help a needy and confused person to go the right path and make the right decisions by the words we say. Or, as the bit can control wild horses, so we could nurture an immature person by the words we teach unto them.

However, if misused, a tongue can devour like a small spark of fire that could wipe out forests. Such is the evil power of the tongue. It depends upon the state of our hearts. As Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Most people reason out that they often have a slip of the tongue. Why? It is wet, it’s slippery. Wild animals can be tamed but not the tongue. It’s a restless evil. An outburst of wrath and anger is like volcanoes spewing lava destroying the life and vegetation around.

James argued the absurdity of the duality of the tongue – to bless and curse God. It’s impossible to have both salty and freshwater flowing from the same spring simultaneously. Is it possible that a tree can bear olive and fig trees at the same time? It’s against the norm. Similarly, from the same mouth should not be blessing and cursing happen simultaneously. James pleaded, “My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

It's time to check our hearts. Such duality should not be in the believer’s heart. The key is to tame the heart by the Spirit’s control. Without the power of the Spirit, it’s impossible to control the tongue. One of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. We ought to live and speak as we ought to. Otherwise, our flesh or self would be out of control. Thus Paul admonished, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”[Gal 5:25,26]

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"(1) Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (2) For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. "

-James 3:1-2 ESV

ON BEING TACTFUL

James has addressed the issue of influencing others with their words as they teach. His caution is to have second thoughts for those would-be teachers. Why? They would be judged with greater strictness. Jesus warned. “If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.” [Matt 15:14] Paul corroborated the danger of being influenced wrongly by false teachers. Thus, he said, “Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”[1 Tim 1:6,7]

Teaching others is a much-needed ministry in the church. God has gifted individuals to fill it (1 Cor 12:28; Rom 12:7; Eph 4:11). They are to help make the Word of God clear to other Christians. They are not to prophesy or reveal new truths from God. Instead, they are to explain what has been revealed and make it easier for others to understand and make proper applications in life.

Moreover, it's not just enough that we are sure to teach the truth. God wants us also to bridle our tongues. Speaking the truth could hurt. However, if it is said in a tactful way it does show our maturity and would be taken objectively and edify. In short, both saying the right thing and saying it in the right way matter greatly.

One of the marks of a mature person is the way they talk. We all stumble[offend] in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble[offend] in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. Let’s be watchful today in the way we talk. As Paul exhorted, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”[Col 4:6] Let’s think twice before we say anything. As Solomon advised, “When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”[Prov 10:19] Let’s follow the example of Christ, that is, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return.” [1 Pet 2:23]

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God’s Word for Today

19 June 2023

20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

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James 2:20-26

CONSIDERED RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH ALONE

James has been describing the differences between a living faith and dead faith. What would you say about someone wanting to go somewhere but riding on a dead horse? Foolish! Such is the person who has faith without works - dead faith.

But, we couldn’t say Abraham and Rahab were foolish by their faith shown by their actions, could we? James affirmed that the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. The proof that Abraham believed truly was that he obeyed the command of God to sacrifice Isaac at the altar. He rose early in the morning, walked with his son Isaac, made the altar, laid his son, and pulled the knife to kill him. But, an angel restrained him. Could we doubt the belief of Abraham? Had he not obeyed, we do have reasons to doubt, don’t we?

Similarly, the pagan prostitute Rahab received and hid the spies. She could be killed for treason but she was not afraid and did what she did. Could we doubt her faith in the God of Israel? Definitely not!

James pointed out that Abraham’s and Rahab’s faith was the motivating power behind their works. They were justified or declared righteous because of their faith. The term ‘justify’ here James referred to as proof in the eyes of people. He did not contradict Paul who writes about Abraham’s justification, saying;‘

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness”[Rom 4:1-5]

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